Posted: 8:15 p.m.
At the moment, Ben Utecht wants to come back and play next season, his last of a three-year deal.
But he knows much depends on the next several weeks of tests and consultations and he doesn't quite know what's in store after suffering his fifth concussion earlier this month. He does know the Bengals put him on injured reserve Monday and that his symptoms still haven't cleared.
"From a family perspective, it's a situation I've got to take seriously," Utecht said. "I don't want to mess around. It's a sad time for me because football is what I do. I miss my teammates. I miss being on the field. It's very frustrating."
For the first two seasons of his Bengals career, he'll have just 16 catches and 123 yards in 10 games. What happens in '10 is anyone's guess. Utecht isn't talking retirement. He's talking time.
"My goal is to come back next year," he said. "To continue to improve and get better and get back into it next year. The big thing with a concussion is time and for the symptoms to go away. That's what I'm waiting for."
